A wide variety of modular plugs of generally similar outward configuration, necessitated by the requirement of mating with a standard modular jack, are known in the communication industry. Modular plugs are relatively small in size, and terminate ends of communication cables whereby the individual wires are in close proximity thus inducing cross talk between different signal pairs. However, with the increase in data transmission rate requirements, the use of modular communication plugs and jacks to connect twisted pair cables in computer networks has resulted in a need to reduce the cross talk between signal transmitting wire pairs of the modular communication connectors. One method of reducing cross talk is achieved by staggering adjacent pairs of individual wires and minimizing the distance of the parallel runs.
The relatively small size of the plugs and conductors requires careful manipulation of the individual insulated conductors in arranging the order of the conductors relative to the contacts in the modular plug and for holding the conductors in the proper arrangement within the plug prior to being terminated. Typically, eight individual insulated conductors must be arranged and terminated to eight contacts in the plug. Providing the individual wires in a pair of spaced apart planes with alternating conductors being in alternating planes and situated such that the adjacent conductors have minimized parallel runs to reduce cross talk can be difficult to assemble. The individual conductors must either be preformed and carefully inserted into the individual channels or else initially positioned in a single planar array and forced into a staggered relationship.
Therefore, there is need for improvement in the art for a modular plug connector that can be easily terminated while reducing the cross talk induced by the connector in terminated wire pairs.